In the "Ask Linda" columns I answer questions from readers who are uncertain how to proceed correctly under the Rules of Golf. No names are used – all questioners are referred to as Lulu (or Lou, in the case of male writers), in honor of the smart and sassy comic character.
Please send questions from your personal golf experiences to: llmillergolf@gmail.com.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Rules Nugget-Dustin Johnson’s one-stroke penalty at Oakmont

A number of my readers have written to ask why the USGA
penalized Dustin Johnson (DJ) one stroke instead of two at the U.S. Open last week.
For those of you who missed this, DJ grounded his putter alongside his ball on
the green of the fifth hole, took two practice swings, moved his putter behind
the ball, and immediately backed away when he saw the ball move. The referee
ruled that DJ had not caused his ball to move, so DJ putted the ball from its
new spot. The incident was reviewed by the Committee, and it was deemed that
DJ, on the contrary, did cause his ball to move, and he was assessed a
one-stroke penalty.

Ordinarily, if a player causes his ball to move, he incurs a
one-stroke penalty and must replace the ball before he hits it; if he fails to
replace the ball, the penalty increases to two strokes [Rule 18-2]. So the
question remains: Why was DJ penalized only one stroke?

When a player receives a ruling from a referee, he must
accept that ruling and play on. Rule 34-2 states that the decision of a referee
is final, regardless of whether the decision is correct. However, while the player is obligated to follow the
directions of a referee, the Committee
has the right to change a referee’s ruling after reviewing the evidence. The
USGA Committee reviewed the video and ruled that DJ was responsible for the
movement of his ball.

So, why just a one-stroke penalty? When DJ putted his ball
from its new position, he was following the instructions of a referee. Later, when
the Committee decided that he had caused his ball to move –an infraction that
incurred before the ruling from the referee– DJ incurred the one-stroke penalty
for that violation. He did not incur the additional one-stroke penalty for not
replacing his ball – a player is not penalized when he follows the instructions
of a referee, even though the decision may be overruled by the Committee.